Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone follows the story of Harry Potter, an orphan who lives with his cruel aunt and uncle. On his eleventh birthday, Harry discovers he is a wizard and begins attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he makes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and becomes entangled in a mystery surrounding the Philosopher's Stone, a magical object that can grant eternal life. The trio must prevent the dark wizard Lord Voldemort from obtaining the Stone and restoring his power.
The story follows Harry Potter, an orphan who lives with his abusive Muggle (non-magical) relatives. On his eleventh birthday, Harry learns he is a wizard and begins attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he makes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and together they face the attempted comeback of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who murdered Harry's parents and seeks the powerful Philosopher's Stone to gain immortality. Along the way, Harry must navigate the magical world, confront his enemies, and protect the Stone from falling into Voldemort's hands.
**UPDATE: since this episode was first released, J.K. Rowling has said and written some deeply transphobic sentiments and for this, Alie no longer stans nor supports her. So in listening to this episode, let's marvel at the -ologist herself and her love of Chemistry and remember that feminism is intersectional and trans women are women, and trans folks are welcome and beloved in the Ologies universe.**
Accio: ALL YOUR DREAMS COMING TRUE. Whether you've never read the Harry Potter series -- or you have dogeared copies on your nightstand -- there's something for everyone in this 2-part episode dissecting the science of the spells in J.K. Rowling's books. Electrochemist and professor Dr. Rebecca Lai is a devoted fan who teaches a university course called "A Muggle’s Guide to Harry Potter’s Chemistry." Alie travels to her lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to chat about disappearing ink, gold nanoparticles, ancient alchemy, spells that burn your enemy's eyes, others that protect you from the elements, how writing a novel is like a scientific experiment and how to keep going in the face of stumbling blocks.
**Bonus: I managed not to swear, so you can listen with the kiddos in your life.
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Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris
Theme song by Nick Thorburn
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